At the meeting, Minister Nguyen Hai Ninh congratulated the Japanese side on the successful conclusion of the wrap-up ceremony for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project recently co-organised by both sides. He affirmed that support from the Government of Japan through four phases of JICA projects, comprising seven stages, has assisted Viet Nam’s legal and judicial bodies in the process of legal and judicial reform.
Minister Nguyen Hai Ninh highly appreciated the Lead Exchange and Development (LEAD Programme) – the direct cooperation programme between the Viet Nam Ministry of Justice and the Japanese Ministry of Justice, describing it as a practical, effective model that meets real demands. He proposed that both sides continue maintaining this direct cooperation mechanism and upgrade the programme to ensure flexibility and efficiency.
The Minister also expressed his hope that Japan and JICA will soon approve the project document for the new phase (2027–2030) titled “Further improving the quality and effectiveness of law-making and law enforcement in Viet Nam”. Regarding Viet Nam’s initiative to host the ASEAN Law Forum in 2026 under the theme “Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Law-making and Enforcementin in the Digital Era”, he hoped to receive support, active interest, and technical and financial assistance from the Japanese Ministry of Justice during implementation.
He expressed his expectation that the two Ministries of Justice would continue to support and coordinate closely with each other in implementing their respective initiatives at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of ASEAN legal and judicial cooperation.
Expressing appreciation for the warm reception, Japanese Vice Minister of Justice Mitani Hidehiro extended deep condolences to the people of Viet Nam, particularly those in the provinces of Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa – localities heavily affected by the recent flooding.
Regarding future assistance for developing and improving the legal system, the Vice Minister stated that the Japanese Ministry of Justice will coordinate closely with JICA and take into account Viet Nam’s proposals to ensure the effectiveness for the next phase of the LEAD Programme.
